Bump N’ Run with KT: Giants Lose, Rutgers Cleans House, and LSU Retains Miles

The New York Giants…The Team That Plays Down To Competition

Once again, the Giants showed how a good team can play down to expectations. Losing to a division rival isn’t terrible but when you lose 20-14 to a Washington Redskins team that is way worst than you are, then that is a problem. Throw in the fact that there was no running game to speak of and the offense became the Eli/Odell Show, you also know that your odds of succeeding in a game are pretty low.

For the most part the Giants did not play that badly. Of the three interceptions that Eli Manning threw on Sunday, only the red zone INT was his fault entirely. The defense looked awful for the first 35 minutes of the game but woke up and started to play New York defense finally. The problem came from the running game, which gained just 33 yards for the entire game. In order for the running game to be successful, you have to pick one guy and ride him in order for that back to get into a rhythm within the offense. Shane Vereen is the third-down back and that is decided but who will be that back to carry the ball 20-25 times a game? They HAVE to pick one.

Rutgers Cleans House

I can’t say that I didn’t see this coming. Kyle Flood was in trouble when he had to kick five players off the team right before the season opener. That hot seat was hotter after the reports came out that he improperly made contact with a player’s professor and was eventually suspended for three games. To be a Big Ten team you have to think big and Flood was not that big coach that Rutgers needed to compete. Athletic Director Julie Hermann was also fired and that was expected because she did almost nothing since getting the job after the Mike Rice debacle cost Tim Pernetti the AD job.

The next Rutgers coach must first be able to recruit New Jersey. So many of the best high school players in the state are not even considering Rutgers for college and that’s a shame. Other Big Ten schools are getting those guys but they are not even taking a visit to Rutgers. The next head coach must also bring a new and exciting offense to Piscataway. In today’s collegiate football landscape, the best players want to play in offenses that are high-powered and that score points. The Scarlet Knight defense is the best part of the team. It’s time to fix the offense.

I believe Greg Schiano is available.

Around The Country

• We are headed for a crazy stretch run in the NFL as the Carolina Panthers are the lone undefeated team remaining in the league. No one really thought the Cowboys had a shot against Carolina on Thanksgiving so the outcome was pretty well known. The last five games of the regular season for the Panthers feature games that will have Carolina favored in each match-up…including December 20th against the Giants.

• Unless something insane happens on Saturday and a bunch of teams lose, the College Football Playoffs are already set. Clemson, Alabama, Michigan State and Oklahoma are the four that have their tickets punched unless Florida and Iowa pull major upsets in the SEC and Big Ten title games. I can’t say that I’m happy that Championship Saturday means nothing for the most part. Like the BCS, I want chaos and controversy for that final ranking reveal and that will not happen this year.

• The Les Miles/LSU drama was useless. First LSU and their all powerful boosters wanted to pay Miles $15 million to let him go and this time last week it looked to be a done deal. On Saturday Miles received a standing ovation, a win over Texas A&M and was carried off the field. Was that Miles’ final game with the Tigers? Nope LSU and their spineless president and athletic director decided during the third quarter of that game that they would retain Miles as coach. What a joke.